Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said there was more than one attacker involved in the suicide bombing on Mall Road blast.
The law minister added that the attack had targetted the police.
"In the the footage from the cameras placed in Model Town, two men can be seen walking towards the blast site," said Sanaullah.
Rana Sanaullah said, "Of the two men seen walking from the Punjab High Court towards Mall road, one seems to be 30 to 35 years of age and may be the handler. The other individual seems to be between the ages of 15 and 17 and may have been the suicide bomber."
Sanaullah further added that DIG Traffic and SSP Operations were posted on one side of the Mall Road while the protesters were on the other side.
"The attackers wanted to target the police and thus moved towards them before the bomber blew himself up," said the provincial law minister.
Sanaullah also added that initial evidence is being taken into consideration as the investigation proceeds further. However, he clarified that new geo-forensic evidence may impact the direction of the investigation.
Describing the incident in further detail, he said, "The 35-year old alleged handler gave the bomber his instructions and then went to stand a safe distance away from the site of the attack".
"The people of Pakistan had started feeling safer, the stock exchange was on the rise and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final was about to be played in Lahore. People from all over the world were visiting the country including ambassadors from various countries. This attack is a conspiracy against Pakistan," said the law minister while terming the attack a conspiracy against Pakistan.
On Monday 13 people were killed and 85 were injured when a suicide blast shook Mall Road.
The FIR and initial inquiry report
A First Investigation Report (FIR) was registered at the CTD police station on the petition of SHO Civil Lines police station. Cause for FIR was noted as terrorism.
According to the FIR, four people were allegedly involved in the suicide attack at Charing Cross, out of the four, one blew himself up while the other three fled the scene.
The report adds that investigative agencies have found human remains from the site of the blast and it is believed that the human remains belonged to the suicide attacker.
A report on the blast has been sent to Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and the bomber has been identified as a 20-year-old.
The initial report says that six to eight kilogrammes of explosive were used in the suicide blast while ball bearings have been determined as the main cause for most of the deaths.
Day of mourning
Shahbaz Sharif announced a day of mourning in the province and ordered the national flag on all official buildings be flown at half mast.
All trade activities in the city were also suspended for the day while all public and private schools in the province remained shut.
The funeral prayers for the seven slain police officers including DIG Traffic Lahore Capt (retd) Ahmad Mobin and SSP Operations Zahid Gondal were offered while the Governor Punjab Malik Rafique Rajwana, chief minister and the law minister were among the attendees.
